Why Me?
by HinataKid
Summary: Pre S-Class Exam. Levy has a question for her new partner. *I don't own any rights to Fairy Tail or its characters. Just a fic. Relax
1. Chapter 1

Levy McGarden sank into her seat at her normal table in complete exhaustion. She had been tried and sore for a week straight thanks to her new training regime. Despite her aches she was actually feeling better than she ever had.

So far Gajeel was not falling short on his promise he made to her when they agreed to be partners. Sparring with him and Lily was bringing out a whole new side to her magic. While he knew nothing about solid script, Gajeel was an expert fighter. With every combat move he taught her or threw at her, Levy was getting mush more creative with her magic or rather her words.

At the moment however, her overactive brain was at a loss. She had no words for the question weighing on her mind. She pulled from herself from her thoughts as Gajeel returned to her side, two very full, very cold beer steins in hand. He passed her a drink and laughed in that odd way of his as Levy chugged half of the beer in nearly one gulp. She let out a content sigh, slamming her drink down.

"You drink big for a tiny thing like you," he straddled the bench next to her.

"Fairy Tail trained," she smirked with obvious pride. "Don't forget that I grew up with Cana."

"Point taken shorty," even now Gajeel could hear that busty drunkard roaring with laughter from the bar.

Levy snuck a glance at Gajeel when he tipped his own drink back. She really wanted to ask him a question and was getting close to putting it to words without comepletly embarrassing herself. After spending nearly every hour together since the S-Class exams were announced, they had been getting along surprisingly well. Sure they only talk about fighting, training, and Levy's occasional question about his time in Edolas. She was curious after all and Gajeel loved talking about working with his "badass" counterpart. They haven't shared any secrets or bonded really and yet Levy couldn't help but feel like that could possibly be on the way to something resembling friends.

Speaking of friends, levy looked around the guild for her team, only to come up empty. Odd, she hadn't seen Jet or Droy for what felt like days.

"The She-Demon said Master sent your dogs on a long mission," he said in response to her confusion. "Probably to keep from distracting you, while we train."

"They don't distract me and don't call them that," she puffed at him.

"Nah, they only wish they could. Yer too smart for that." Her eyes went wide at the compliment, he actually sounded kind of proud of her. "But you gotta admit they're annoying."

"Jet and Droy are just enthusiastic and protective," she sighe. "They were the first people to look at me like I wasn't just some weak little girl."

"Yeah well, that's cause you could kick their asses any day of the week," he grunted.

"Two compliments in arrow? Careful Black Steel, or else I'm going to start thinking you actually like someone in this guild besides Lily."

Gajeel snorted into his beer. Did she just make him laugh? What is going on? She stood up, grabbing her empty stein.

"I'll get the next round," she skipped off to the bar passing Lisanna and Juvia chatting easily at a nearby table. Reminding Levy of her earlier attempt to ask Gajeel a question. He seemed to be in a good enough mood so she thought it was worth a shot to have an actual conversation with her partner.

He was chewing on scrap metal when Levy returned with their drinks.

"Gajeel, do you mind if I ask you a question? "

"You can ask," he replied "Don't expect and answer."

"Fair enough," she placed his beer in front of his and sat down. "Why did you offer to be my partner?"

He tensed a bit and she immediately added, "Not that I'm not beyond grateful for your help! I'm just a little confused as to why you and Juvia didn't team up. I figured that you two must already have a history of working together, plus she is way stronger than me and-" she thought carefully before simply asking, "Why me?"

"You think I shoulda went with Loxar?" he peered at Levy.

"If you wanted to win, yeah I do," she said.

"I ain't working with her while her heads shoved up her ass." Gajeel rested his head in his hand.

"I don't follow," she said.

"She's so obsessed with that stripper, she wont take anything else seriously. She'd bow out now if she could I bet."

"Oh, that makes sense," Levy said. "She really is crazy about Gray."

"Friggin' nuts more like it," he grunted. "Besides what would it matter if I win? Not like I could get S-Class no matter who I partner with. Like I said I just want a chance to take on Flame-brain or Scarlet."

Levy bit her lip in thought. He had a point. So then this wasn't about winning and he'd have the chance to fight Natsu and Erza whomever his partner was. Levy started to feel pathetic. She had had a theory of why he wanted to 'make her big' and she was starting to believe it.

"So you feel guilty," she said quieter than she intended. Gajeel caught it though and the air around them grew a bit heavier. They never had talked about it after all, Gajeel's sin that weighed them both down. Levy didn't want to loose him as her partner so she tried not to feel put out. She expected it after all. Just as she opened her mouth to change the subject Gajeel finally spoke up.

"I don't feel guilty. I am guilty," he said darkly. "But winning some dumb test or contest aint gunna get rid of that. So no that's not why I'm helping you out."

"Lost me again Redfox," she frowned and Gajeel snorted into his drink again. This wasn't about atonement for nearly killing her?

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he coughed, fighting an amused smirk, "Yer magic."

"My magic?"

He nodded. "Ever since that in-guild fight with the lightning jerk I wanted to see more of that Script stuff you do. The way you wrote your way around those runes was badass, plus making elements come out of nowhere like that? That Freed dude is one strong mage and you blew through his trap like is was breakfast. I knew I needed a piece of that."

Levy's face exploded at the innuendo but her heart sped up at the genuine compliments he kept tossing her way. Not to mention that was probably the most she had heard him say in one setting.

"Never seen you at a loss for words Shrimp," he smirked. He picked up their mugs, making moves for a third round but turned back to her. "and I gotta say I was right, you are a little badass, gee-hee,"

Gajeel then flashed Levy a real smile, looked straight into her eyes and gave her a wink that she couldn't describe any other way than hot. She'd never had a guy look at her like that and she'd never been so aware of how tight her chest felt.

Levy watched his back as he walked to the bar, her red face scrunched in confusion. Suddenly her eyes went wide as a realization smacked her in the head like an iron rod.

"Shit"

~end


	2. Chapter 2

_I originally wrote the last chapter as a Oneshot but I got a lot of good feedback so I thought I'd test out another chapter to see if this is worth_ _continuing. Thanks to everyone who followed, liked and reviewed._

 _~HK_

* * *

 _No, no, no,_ Levy was in a mental tailspin. _This was bad_ Luckily her "problem" had gone home to cook dinner for himself and his cat.

"You cook?" She had asked him as she stood up, stretching.

"Yupp. Pretty good at it if I say so myself. Stews, roasts, even some decent Italian on occasion," he boasted. "But the real proof is when I cook you breakfast. You'll be blown away Shorty."

He smirked and gave her a wave before walking out the guild doors leaving a speechless Levy in his wake.

 _THE HELL DID HE MEAN BY THAT?!_ She stared hard into her beer. She couldn't figure out what was more jarring, the way he was making her feel or the completely outrageous idea that he was purposely flirting with her.

 _Maybe he was just messing with me_ , the thought made her rather angry. He had no right to tease her. But his compliments on her magic earlier made her think he did have a level of respect for her as a mage.

While her thoughts and emotions continued to flux she didn't realize how late it was getting until a voice broke her concentration.

"Earthland to Levy!" Lucy waved a hand in front of her best friend's face. Levy jerked back.

"Lu! Sorry I was.." she glanced around seeing the guild slowly empty out.

"Totally out of it," Lucy finished. "You only zone out that hard with a new paperback in your hand."

Levy laughed and gathered her things. Mirajane popped up clearing the empty mugs from her table.

"So was he cute?" Mira smiled.

"What?" Levy quirked a brow.

"The boy on your mind who had you thinking a hole into the table for nearly 2 hours," she teased. "Was he cute?"

"Mira!" Levy whined. Lucy giggled, enjoying Mira's teasing wasn't directed at her for once. "I was just thinking about the exam."

"Sure," Mira winked and continued to clear tables. Levy sighed.

"Don't worry about it Lev," Lucy patted her on the shoulder. "You want to come to my place? I have a couple new chapters that could use some editing."

"That sounds great! But what about Natsu?"

"What about him?" Lucy's jaw ticked.

"Oh come on Lu, he spends practically every night at your place."

"He does not!" Lucy defended in vain.

"But I suppose it wouldn't matter since I always sleep on the couch and he just climbs into your bed anyway-" Levy mused.

"LEVY!" Lucy leaped to cover her friend's mouth. Levy burst out laughing.

"Alright! Sorry, lets go," she wiped a tear from her eye.

The two walked to Lucy's apartment chatting comfortably. When they arrived Lucy handed Levy her latest work and went to make hot coco. Levy easily read through the pages, pen in hand. She was finished by the time Lucy returned with two steaming mugs.

"Damn Levy. You are so freaking fast," Lucy skimmed through Levy's corrections and notes.

"And you are a freaking great writer," She said honestly. She loved Lucy's work and was honored to be her editor. They went over a few of Levy's notes before the conversation naturally turned to other things.

"I mean I just can't let her mope around like that, saying she's going to leave the guild," Lucy lamented on Cana's recent bad mood.

"Mira is right Lu, she gets like this every time Master announces an S-Class exam. But its really awesome of you to be her partner, she could really use the encouragement right now," Levy assured her. Cana was the closest thing Levy ever had to a sister but was never able to help her with this particular issue. She was so happy to she her finally opening up to someone. It was one of the many reasons Levy was happy Lucy joined the guild. She had away of reaching people.

"So how are things with Gajeel?" Levy nearly choked on her coco. Her thoughts from earlier came racing to the forefront of her mind.

"What? Nothing! Fine! Why do you ask?" she stammered like an idiot. _Shit_

"Your training Lev," Lucy prompted with a puzzled look.

"Oh right, yeah he's really good. He totally wears me out," she spat out too quickly. Her entire face lit up in flames at her own words and she threw her hands up. "What I mean is that its great, I mean he's great- ugh!" she clamped her mouth shut refusing to look Lucy in the eye and took a deep breath and said as calmly as she could, "He is really serious about helping me out. I appreciate it and I think my magic is really improving."

Lucy sat in shock for a moment gaping at her friend's uncharacteristic outburst. The gears turned in her head and then her eyes suddenly widened in realization.

"Oh no," Levy mumbled, knowing she was found out.

"Oh my god! You like him!" she nearly screamed.

"NO! I mean I don't know. Its complicated," she sighed in defeat.

"No it really isn't. It's written all over your face," then added with concern. "Levy how did this happen?"

"Nothing has happened!" Levy insisted. "He's just been really nice to me lately and earlier today I kind of thought he- but was probably just joking around. Ugh! I feel so stupid."

"You are not stupid," Lucy smiled and put an arm around her. "Man, I know they say ' _The heart wants what the heart wants'_ but I gotta say I did not see this one coming."

"I don't want _him,_ I just-"

"Want to see him naked?" Lucy offered with an evil grin.

"LU!"

"Sorry!" She laughed. "That was for earlier."

"Fair enough," Levy sighed.

"Look, I say just relax. Sounds like you are still trying to figure this out for yourself. Focus on training. We'll get through these exams and see where that leads us." Lucy suggested.

"Yeah you're right. I really don't need this distraction," she said.

"Plus what would you do if Jet and Droy found out about this?"

Levy groaned and buried her face into her hands.


End file.
